What are cilia and what is their function?

Cilia are tiny hairs that line certain membranes in the body including sinus cavities. They move in a wavelike motion and carry anything on their surface out of the respiratory tract. Dr Grossan has determined that cilia move back and forth at about 16 to 18 times per second. This just happens to be the frequency at which a Water Pik device sends out its pulsating beads of water. It should also be noted that the pressure of the streamlets is quite low, and this is beneficial.

Allergies

Allergies and their causes are also discussed in the books first section. These often go hand in hand with sinusitis. When I first started seeing an ENT specialist I was tested for allergies and subsequently took weekly shots for several years as part of my treatment. I did test positive for allergies to dust and dust mites, although these allergies were low-level. I do believe these shots helped somewhat. One needs a multi-pronged attack against sinusitis, and each persons problem is unique, so one type of cure does not work for everyone.

The 7 Steps

Part two of the book discusses the 7 steps people should consider to cure their sinusitis. These are:

1. Make the Diagnosis: Tests You May Need
2. Use Nasal Irrigation to Keep Your Nasal Passages Clean
3. Consider Complementary Treatments
4. Clean Up the Air around You
5. Boost the Levels of Healing Nutrients in Your Body
6. Destress to Stay Well
7. Choose the Most Effective Medical Therapies

In my opinion the most important aspect of the treatment program is the pulsating irrigation system. I continue to do this twice a day, even when on travel, as I purchased a small travel model of my Water Pik device. Other important aspects of the program include cleaning the air in one environment and maintaining proper room temperature and humidity levels ( 40- 50% relative humidity).

Medications and herbal remedies

There is significant discussion about medications and possible herbal remedies that some people find helpful. The only criticism I can offer is that these days one reads results of recent studies that point out harmful effects of taking overdoses of certain nutrients, and so I suggest people be careful and discuss any supplements they plan to take with a family physician or ENT specialist. A recent study about taking too much beta-carotene, for example, circulated in the news media not long ago.

Sinus Surgery

The last section of the book discusses sinus surgery, including different types of surgery, and why they are needed.

Having endured two very painful sinus operations, my personal recommendation is that sinus surgery should be a last resort, unless one has polyps, for example. I still came down with a sinus infection about six months after each operation, so the results were not good. I strongly suggest that sinus sufferers read Dr. Grossans book and follow some of his suggestions, especially the sinus irrigation system, before opting for sinus surgery.